news BEMIDJI - A 29-year-old citizen of France is a wanted international fugitive on a charge of serious felony second-degree conduct with a victim young than 13 in an incident last month at Concordia Language Villages near Bemidji.
Adrien Massy, a Frenchman living in St. Louis Park, Minn., and teaching...
Willmar, 56201

Willmar Minnesota 2208 Trott Ave. SW / P.O. Box 839 56201

2012-11-30 12:15:51

BEMIDJI - A 29-year-old citizen of France is a wanted international fugitive on a charge of serious felony second-degree conduct with a victim young than 13 in an incident last month at Concordia Language Villages near Bemidji.

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Adrien Massy, a Frenchman living in St. Louis Park, Minn., and teaching at the French Academy of Minnesota, was charged June 11 by the Beltrami County Attorney with the crime. He was also fired by the French Academy and his laptop and camera were confiscated.

Beltrami County Sheriff Phil Hodapp said Beltrami County initiated the investigation. A warrant was issued June 11 by the Immigration and Customs Enforcement in Hennepin County for Massy's arrest, but the suspect had already fled the country. Hodapp said Massy's last known whereabouts was Iceland, a hub for international air travel.

"Our investigator has been working with the local FBI on it," Hodapp said.

The FBI issued an arrest warrant for unlawful flight to avoid prosecution (UFAP) as that is a federal crime. Second-degree criminal sexual conduct is an extraditable crime.

"Then once they get him back to the county (United States), generally speaking, they will drop the federal charge and turn him over to the state authorities," Hodapp said. "We would prosecute him on state charges here."

According to the criminal complaint:

The Beltrami County Sheriff's Office was notified June 9 that a 10-year-old boy from Edina, Minn., had been sexually assaulted at the Concordia Language Villages French Camp in Turtle River Township on the evening of June 7. The boy was attending a five-day camp with other students from the French Academy, accompanied by a teacher and Massy, the teacher's assistant.

The boy returned home with his parents and was then interviewed June 10 at Corner House Interagency Child Abuse Evaluation and Training Center in Minneapolis. The victim told his interviewer that he was at the French Language Camp June 7 with other fourth- and fifth-graders from the French Academy. The boy said he and other male classmates were trying to sleep in their dormitory when Massy entered his room and approached his bunk bed. The boy said Massy squeezed and rubbed his groin area. The boy said he sat up and told Massy to stop. The boy reported that Massy said "Okay," and left the room.

The boy said he believed Massy was also photographing another child in a shower stall. The boy said he saw Massy taking the pictures of his friend, but Massy told them he was only pretending and that the camera didn't have any film in it.

Investigators have now received a report of another child being sexually assaulted by Massy at the French Language Camp. A separate investigation is going into this alleged incident.

Massy is a French National who has a visa to teach French in the United States and was employed by Amity Institute in San Diego, Calif. He was working at the French Academy on a teacher exchange program.

He has been fired by Amity because of the sexual assault charge. His visa has also been cancelled.

Hodapp said Beltrami County investigators are worked with Edina and St. Louis Park police, who helped out interviewing the victim.

"While this assault happened here at Concordia, these kids were students at the French Academy in St. Louis Park," Hodapp said. "The assault occurred up here, but it was by the guy employed by the academy. This appears to be an isolated incident. The other kids at the language camp were not in danger. This is an imported problem."

Hodapp said he is confident the FBI and ICE will located Massy for extradition.